Forestry in Nigeria Under Threat: Insecurity and Violence Worsen Crisis
Professor Ayodeji Omole, the Chairman of the Governing Council of Ladoke Akintola University (LAUTECH), has sounded the alarm on the deteriorating state of forestry in Nigeria. In a recent lecture, Omole warned that terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping are major threats to the country’s forestry practice. He lamented that widespread attacks, killings, and kidnappings for ransom have rendered forestry in Nigeria increasingly endangered.
Omole delivered his 561st inaugural lecture at the University of Ibadan, speaking on the topic "Working in the Shadows of Death." He emphasized that the challenge of insecurity in forest estates is perhaps the major problem facing the sector. Noting that the military seems helpless in tackling and eradicating this crisis, Omole expressed dismay that the media is filled daily with news of attacks by bandits in Nigeria.
Nigerian forests, he noted, are among the most threatened in Africa, due to high population growth rates, forest conversion to subsistence and industrial agriculture, illegal logging, and an unsafe environment. Omole pointed out that the monopoly of violence is no longer exclusive to the military, as non-state actors have also taken up arms. This has resulted in numerous security breaches across the country, with bandits, unknown gunmen, and insurgents occupying many national forests.
The situation has escalated since 2013, when Boko Haram insurgents found a safe haven in the Sambisa Forest, from where they launched attacks on the Nigerian state. Omole concluded that this development is a major challenge to forestry in Nigeria, and that the crisis has grown from bad to worse, with no signs of abating.
Omole’s warning comes as a stark reminder of the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for action to address the root causes of insecurity and violence in Nigeria’s forests. As the country struggles to balance economic development with environmental sustainability, the forestry sector can ill afford to neglect this critical issue.
